Plot Synopsis

When we left off in Season 4, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) had just been ‘punished’ by the Founders and made human, Chief O’Brien’s (Colm Meaney's) baby had been implanted into Major Kira (Nana Visitor) after an accident, and Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) was struggling with the outbreak of war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 5 proceeds as follows:

Disc 1

1. Apocalypse Rising (43:37) – With suspicions arising that Klingon Chancellor Gowron has been replaced with a Changeling, Sisko, Odo and O’Brien travel to the Klingon home world in order to expose him and try to bring an end to the war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

2. The Ship (43:35) – When a Jem’Hadar vessel crashes on a Federation planet, Sisko tries to claim it in order to learn secrets about the Dominion. But when another Dominion vessel arrives, Sisko finds himself laid to siege in the crashed ship with an injured crewman and a shaky crew.

3. Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places (43:37) – Quark’s (Armin Shimerman) Klingon ex-wife, Lady Grillka, shows up on the station to seek his help, arousing the romantic interest of Worf (Michael Dorn). However, unable to pursue her, Worf agrees to help Quark court her with the assistance of Jadzia (Terry Farrell), who is harbouring romantic feelings for him. At the same time, O’Brien and Kira find themselves romantically attracted to each other now that Kira is holding his baby.

4. Nor The Battle To The Strong (43:38) -- While returning home from a conference where Jake (Cirroc Lofton) was profiling Doctor Bashir (Alexander Siddig) for a news report, the pair intercept a distress call from a Federation colony under attack from the Klingons. Jake convinces Bashir to assist in order to see life on the frontlines, but his excitement soon wanes when he sees the reality of medical triage.

Disc 2

5. The Assignment (43:37) – Miles’ wife Keiko returns from the Fire Caves on Bajor a little different, and soon O’Brien finds himself running all over the station, changing systems in secret, with only Rom’s help to keep his wife alive.

6. Trials And Tribble-ations (43:38) – Two agents from the Temporal Investigations division of Starfleet arrive at DS9 to determine whether the crew’s accidental time travel back to the days of the original Enterprise under Captain Kirk may have altered the timeline.

7. Let He Who Is Without Sin... (43:37) – Worf and Jadzia plan a romantic holiday on Risa, which becomes a crowd when they are joined by Bashir and Leeta (Chase Masterson) and also Quark. However, Worf finds himself attracted to the ideology of a group of political activists attempting to wake the Federation up to the dangers facing them from their current relaxed lifestyle.

8. Things Past (43:37) – Returning from a conference on the history of the occupation, Odo, Jadzia, Garak (Andrew J. Robinson) and Sisko arrive at the station in a trance state unable to be revived. However, it seems that the four are experiencing a collective consciousness where they have been thrust into the past, assuming the identity of four Bajorans who were falsely accused and executed by Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) on Terak Nor.

Disc 3

9. The Ascent (43:35) – Odo is asked to transport Quark to a Federation Grand Jury hearing regarding the Orion Syndicate, an organised crime outfit the Federation have been working against for years. However, when an assassination attempt fails, the pair are stranded on a frozen world where they must climb a massive peak in order to send a beacon for help. In the meantime, Nog (Aron Eisenberg) returns from Starfleet and moves in with Jake, but their difference in lifestyle soon creates friction.

10. Rapture (43:36) – An accident leaves Sisko in a state of heightened sensory perception on the eve of Bajor’s official entry into the Federation. But this state soon gives Sisko a strange insight into the Prophets and he must face the reality of his role as Emissary.

11. The Darkness And The Light (43:36) – A series of hi-tech murders of the Shakaar resistance cell puts Kira in danger, and she must choose between vengeance and the law of the New Bajor as well as the protection of O’Brien’s baby.

12. The Begotten (43:35) – Odo finds a baby Changeling that he tries to assist in learning how to change shape. But when Dr. Pel arrives on the station, Odo is forced to face his feelings of hostility towards the man who is the closest thing he has to a father. Meanwhile, Kira is trying to give birth, but the relaxation she needs is not forthcoming with O’Brien and Shakaar fighting.

Disc 4

13. For The Uniform (43:37) – Sisko’s hunt for the man who betrayed him for the Marquis, former Starfleet officer Michael Eddings (Ken Marshall), leads him through the Badlands to a Marquis plot to make Cardassian settlements uninhabitable. Will Sisko learn the key to defeating Eddings before a full scale war erupts?

14. In Purgatory’s Shadow (43:36) – As it becomes increasingly more likely that the Dominion is going to invade the Alpha Quadrant, Sisko prepares for war. At the same time, Worf helps Garak investigate transmissions that may be coming from the survivors of the joint Romulan/Cardassian attack on the Founders two years previous.

15. By Inferno’s Light (43:37) – With Cardassia under Dominion rule, Sisko decides to collapse the wormhole with Worf and Garak captive in the Gamma Quadrant. But a trail of sabotage leads them to believe there is a Changeling in their midst.

16. Dr. Bashir, I Presume? (43:36) – Dr. Lewis Zimmerman (Robert Picardo) arrives on DS9 to do a holographic profile of Dr. Bashir to be the new template for an emergency medical holograph. But when Bashir’s parents arrive on the station, some awkward truths about his past are exposed threatening his future in Starfleet.

Disc 5

17. A Simple Investigation (43:35) – When a mysterious and beautiful woman is caught trying to break into the station’s computer system, Odo finds himself caught up in an investigation where his heart is also on the line.

18. Business As Usual (43:36) – Quark is approached by his cousin Galin, who owns a moon, to help him in the lucrative arms trade. But while profits boom, Quark finds himself ostracised from his friends and pondering the morality of his new enterprise.

19. Ties Of Blood And Water (43:35) – The man who believed Kira was his daughter when she was kidnapped by the Obsidian Order arrives on DS9. However, he is opposed to the Cardassian/Dominion alliance and offers to help her with information before he dies. But Gul Dukat and Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs) arrive on the station intent on stopping him.

20. Ferengi Love Songs (43:35) – When Quark returns to Ferenginar he accidentally discovers that his mother is having an affair with Grand Nagus Zek. Liquidator Brunt convinces Quark to break up their relationship in order to spare the Nagus any embarrassment.

Disc 6

21. Soldiers Of The Empire (43:36) – Worf and Jadzia go with General Martok on his first active mission since being captured by the Dominion. But when Martok backs down from several key confrontations, the crew begin doubting the courage of their leader.

22. Children Of Time (43:36) – When the Defiant is caught in a temporal rift, the crew discovers a planet inhabited by the children of their offspring from where the Defiant crashed 200 years previous.

23. Blaze Of Glory (43:37) – The crew intercept a Marquis message indicating that several unstoppable missiles will be launched at Cardassia as a last resort as the Marquis have been all but wiped out by the Jem’Hadar. Fearing that this will spark a war between the Federation and the Dominion before they are ready, Sisko enlists the aid of Michael Eddings to help him prevent the missiles from being launched.

24. Empok Nor (43:36) – With DS9 experiencing system failures, Chief O’Brien suggests that they scavenge replacement Cardassian parts from a disused Cardassian space station in Bajoran space known as Empok Nor. But their arrival sets off a series of security protocols awakening a group of violently xenophobic Cardassian soldiers.

Disc 7

25. In The Cards (43:35) – In an effort to cheer up his father, Jake bids on a baseball card at an auction only to be beaten by a strange man. When Jake approaches him for a trade on the card, the man reveals himself to be a scientist in need of certain items that he cannot get hold of. This sends Jake and Nog on a spree all over the station, exchanging wanted items for needed items which in turn attracts the attention of the Dominion on DS9 to discuss a non-aggression pact with Bajor and the Federation.

26. Call To Arms (43:36) – With more and more Dominion reinforcements arriving through the wormhole every week, Sisko decides to mine the wormhole knowing that it will likely trigger a war. But when the Dominion get wind of his plan, Sisko must hold the station so that the Defiant can finish the job.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 5 is an exceptional season, following a full story arc with a fantastic final episode in A Call To Arms. Along the way we have some very memorable (and pivotal) episodes such as The Begotten, Ties Of Blood And Water and Dr. Bashir, I Presume?, and this season also includes what is often vaunted as the most popular episode of the entire series, Trials And Tribble-ations. While marginally better than Season 4, in my opinion at least it is still not quite on par with Season 6. Production values increase notably through the course of the season, and the change in uniform concurrent with the change in Star Trek: First Contact to a more naval style gives the show a darker but more professional feel.

It is too late by Season 5 to really get the most out of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as there is just too much necessary back story. But for the fans this one really puts the show on the map indicating a greater tendency towards ongoing plotlines, and leads nicely into the stunning 6-part plot arc that opens Season 6.

Of course, the big question is, how does this season look and sound ...?

Transfer Quality

Video

I am pleased to report that the image quality of Season 5 is every bit as good as Season 4, which is not only good news for us fans but also means I don’t have to write out quite as much detail here (phew!).

This new transfer of Season 5 has the VHS releases beat hands down, so discard your old tapes and make room for this release, which takes up far less space.

Again, the transfer is presented in 1.33:1, Full Frame, which is the original broadcast aspect ratio. The show was shot on 35mm film and then transferred to NTSC video which seems to have created a nasty cross colouration glitch in Seasons 1 - 3, but thankfully that problem has been corrected here.

Colours are intense and well balanced. The image is richly detailed, and very pleasing on the eye.

Shadow detail is very good, although a fine graininess that is a product of the soft filter used to film the show is present if you get close enough to the screen and look for it. That graininess is more pronounced in shadowy shots, but it is still fairly minor and not terribly distracting. The worst of it was during the opening sequence of For The Uniform and during the sequence between Odo and Bashir in the limo during A Simple Investigation

MPEG artefacts are absent, and film-to-video transfer artefacts are minimal with only some faint aliasing in the background. I noticed some minor cross-colouration on a tree in the background when the shuttlecraft first crashes in The Ascent. This was the only instance.

The episode Trials And Tribble-ations has a bit more dirt than the other episodes simply because it was relying on footage from an original episode made in the 1960s. That said, the colour reproduction on that episode is superb. Otherwise, film artefacts are extremely minor.

Season 5 comes with extensive array of subtitle options: English for the Hearing Impaired, regular English, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish. They appear as white with a grey/black border and are easy to read. They do not convey the dialogue word for word, but the general gist of the dialogue is kept.

The dual-layer pause is in between the episodes, with two episodes per layer.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness

Shadow Detail

Colour

Grain/Pixelization

Film-To-Video Artefacts

Film Artefacts

Overall

Audio

Again, like Season 4, audio is a vast improvement on previous seasons with much more of a cinematic feel. Dialogue is extremely well rendered and there were no audio sync problems that I detected.

The music finally gets a full remix with vastly improved range and clarity as well as a whole encompassing feel. Indeed, the surrounds were liberally employed not just for the music, but also for special effects, and were constantly in use, either to highlight a moving starship going overhead, or just to keep the steady background hum of the station going.

The subwoofer got a fair workout, particularly in the space battle sequences, although I think photon torpedos tend to pack more of a punch on the big screen ventures than they do here.

Audio is also available in German 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish, French and Italian in 2.0 Dolby Surround overdub. These alternate audio tracks lose something with the overdub and lack the clarity that comes from the original English. Still, they are quite acceptable as foreign language tracks.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue

Audio Sync

Clicks/Pops/Dropouts

Surround Channel Use

Subwoofer

Overall

Extras

Again, we are provided with an extensive list of extras, all presented in 1.33:1, Full Frame, with 2.0 Dolby Surround audio. Interviews are in 1.85:1, letterboxed within the 1.33:1 frame.

Menus

All menus are presented in 1.33:1 Full Frame. The main menus are a CGI recreation of the credits, with a panning view of the station. The episode menus have an ambient 2.0 Dolby Stereo track and are static. All other sub-menus are static and silent.

Booklet

Although I have not received a copy of the booklet or packaging, this season comes with its own individualised set.

Featurette – “Trials And Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends” (16:50)

A look at the famous episode where the DS9 crew go back in time and interact with the crew of the original series and save Kirk’s life from an exploding Tribble – that’s one of those cute fluffy things that purr for those who don’t know.

Another featurette looking at the making of Trials And Tribble-ations.

Crew Dossier – Miles O’Brien (11:21)

A look the character of Miles O’Brien played by Colm Meaney, including interviews with the actor himself and also with Ira Steven Behr, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and Terry Farrell. Also includes a close up look at the episode Hard Time.

Featurette – “The Ferengi Culture” (5:29)

This is a brief look at the culture of the Ferengi and how it evolves during Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Featurette – “Inside DS9 With Michael Okuda” (7:10)

Mike Okuda does all the scenic design for Star Trek and makes things look the way they do. During this featurette he takes for a tour on the set of DS9.

Featurette – “Michael Westmore’s Aliens” (7:12)

This is a look at the make up design for the various aliens done during Season 5.

Featurette - “Deep Space Nine Sketchbook: John Eaves” (11:32)

A further look at the artistic design work of illustrator John Eaves and the work he did for Season 5.

Photo Gallery (7:36)

A series of 44 inset stills from the production of the season.

Hidden Files

There are 10 Hidden Files here, which are easy enough to find by just playing around with your remote until you highlight one of the auxiliary panels of the space station:

Hidden File 01 (2:51) looks at the episode The Begotten and features an interview with Rene Auberjonois.

Hidden File 02 (2:55) looks at the episode The Ascent and the relationship between Quark and Odo. Includes an extensive interview with Rene Auberjonois.

Hidden File 03 (1:55) an interview with Robert Hewitt Wolfe about how much fun it was to write for the show and how hard it was to leave at the end of Season 5.

Hidden File 04 (2:05) looks at the episode The Begotten and includes an interview with Nana Visitor talking about being pregnant on the show.

Hidden File 05 (2:47) looks at the episode Ties Of Blood And Water including an interview with Nana Visitor.